World Heroes 2
|genre=Fighting |modes=Up to 2 players simultaneously |cabinet=Upright |arcade system=Neo Geo (102 Mbit cartridge) |display=Raster, 320 x 224 pixels (Horizontal), 4096 colors |input=8-way Joystick, 3 Buttons |platforms=Neo Geo MVS Neo Geo AES Neo-Geo CD PC-Engine Super CD-ROM² SNES PlayStation 2 Virtual Console }} is a fighting arcade game developed and published by ADK with the assistance of SNK (now known as SNK Playmore). It was originally released for the Neo Geo MVS arcade cabinet on April 28, 1993. It is the sequel to the fighting arcade game ''World Heroes, as well as the second title of the World Heroes series. It was even the first game with the "ADK" logo labeled within the game after the developer changed from its previous name "Alpha Denshi"; however, the "Alpha" logo was last used on one of the arcade flyers of World Heroes 2. It was followed by a sequel released less than a year later titled World Heroes 2 Jet. Gameplay World Heroes 2 uses most of the elements of its predecessor, such as the same three out of four button layout, movements and motion commands performed using an 8-way joystick, and the "Normal Game" and "Death Match" modes. However, the "C" button can either be used to throw when close enough to the opponent, or taunt against the opponent. New additions include six new characters, new and modified moves and fighting statistics added to the original eight playable characters returning from the first World Heroes, projectile-reflecting, counter-grabbing and a slightly faster movement. There are fourteen playable characters in all. In "Normal Game" mode, the object is to first defeat all six playable characters introduced in World Heroes 2, then defeat four of the original eight characters introduced in the original World Heroes chosen by the game randomly. After that, the player must defeat the two bosses, Neo Geegus and Dio to win the game. The rule in each battle against a character, like in most fighting games at the time of its release, requires the players to win two-of three rounds to completely win against the opponent. If the timer runs out before anyone is knocked out, the one with the most health in his/her lifebars wins. In "Death Match" mode, the object of this mode is the same as "Normal Game" mode, but with new stages that feature new environmental hazards and a unique lifebar called the "seesaw lifebar". Unlike most fighting games at the time, the seesaw lifebar in "Death Match" mode has a different rule. If the player hits his or her opponent, the arrow on the lifebar will move toward the opponent's side at a distance depending on certain moves performed against the opponent. If the arrow scrolls at the end of the opponent's side, he/she will have to constantly press any button to stand up as fast as possible before the referee counts to ten. If the arrow is perfectly in the middle with the time running out, the battle becomes a draw game. Plot Who is the strongest hero in history!? In order to solve this conundrum, a professor completed a time machine and used it to test the might of warriors from different ages. Unfortunately, he was unable to find an answer. A year later, six new heroes appear. Now, the largest battle of history is about to begin. Ports and related releases World Heroes 2 was later ported to the Neo Geo AES in both Japan and North America on June 4, 1993, which is identical to the Neo Geo MVS version, but designed for home gaming, just like nearly every AES versions of Neo Geo titles. World Heroes 2 was later ported to the Neo Geo CD exclusively in Japan by ADK on April 14, 1995, which everything in it is identical to the MVS and AES versions, but with arranged background music. Outside of SNK's platforms, it was first ported by Agenda with graphics handled by ADS and published by Hudson Soft to the PC-Engine Super CD-ROM² exclusively in Japan on June 4, 1994, as part of a series of titles that use the Arcade Card expansion for the PC-Engine Super CD-ROM² along with three Neo Geo titles also equally ported by Hudson Soft: Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury 2 and Fatal Fury Special. It features a mixture of arranged and chiptune BGM (different compared to the Neo-Geo CD version's BGM), as well as nearly identical graphics, sound effects and voice samples to the original Neo Geo versions. Later, World Heroes 2 was ported and published by Saurus to the SNES in Japan on July 1, 1994, while this specific port was later published in North America by Takara in September 1994. On October 18, 2007, SNK Playmore added it along with its predecessor and successors to the arcade game compilation in Japan for the PlayStation 2. It was later published in North America on March 11, 2008, and on November 7, 2008, both titled as World Heroes Anthology. This compilation was reprinted as part of a series of best-sellers subtitled "The Best" in Japan on June, 18, 2009. The Neo Geo AES version was later re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on November 15, 2011. Pony Canyon and Scitron Label published both an original soundtrack simply titled World Heroes 2 exclusively in Japan on June 18, 1993, and an image album titled on October 21, 1993. In this image album, the first track titled was used for six years as the opening theme for Fuji Television's news program, News JAPAN. Reception On release, ''Famicom Tsūshin scored the Neo Geo version of the game a 25 out of 40.NEO GEO GAMES CROSS REVIEW: ワールドヒーローズ2. Weekly Famicom Tsūshin. No.332. Pg.26. 28 April 1995. References External links Official sites *[http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/online/worldheroes/ World Heroes] at SNK Playmore *[http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/nbc/museum/worldheroes/ World Heroes series] at NBC Museum of SNK Playmore General resources * *''World Heroes 2'' at arcade-history *''World Heroes 2'' at Jap-Sai Category:1993 video games Category:ADK (company) games Category:Arcade games Category:Multiplayer video games Category:Neo-Geo games Category:Neo Geo CD games Category:Saurus games Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games Category:Takara (company) games Category:TurboGrafx-CD games Category:Video games developed in Japan Category:Virtual Console games